What is Theyyam in Kerala?
Theyyam is a famous ritual art form that originated in North Kerala which brings to life the great stories of our State. It encompasses dance, mime and music. It exalts the beliefs of the ancient tribals who gave a lot of importance to the worship of heroes and the spirits of their ancestors.
What is the story behind Theyyam?
Theyyam is representative of a form of Hinduism practiced by the tribal communities since time immemorial. The Satvic rituals practiced by the Namboodiri Brahmins in temples co-existed with this tribal form of worship which involves liquor and meat as offerings to god.
What caste is Theyyam?
Theyyam is a ritualistic performance, primarily done by Scheduled Caste communities based in the districts of Kasargod, Kannur and some regions in Kozhikode in northern Kerala.
How many types of Theyyam are there?
There are more than 400 different kinds of Theyyam in Kerala, India’s southernmost state. In simplest terms, Theyyam is a ritual art form so ancient it predates Hinduism (500 BCE), though it has since adapted to include Hindu elements.
How old is Theyyam?
1,500 years ago
There are two schools of thoughts about the living cult of Theyyam. One is that it is a rare surviving art form that descended nearly 1,500 years ago from some pre-Aryan, non-Brahminical Dravidian religious systems that were later encompassed into the Hindu religious system.
Is Theyyam a festival?
Theyyam is a grand dance festival in Kerala and is celebrated many regions of the state including Kasargod. Theyyam is considered as Dance Gods and the name has been given to it by adding two words ‘Deivam’ and ‘Aattam’, where ‘Deivam’ means God and ‘Aattam’ translates to dance.
Is Theyyam God?
Theyyam (Teyyam, Theyam or Theyyattam) is a popular ritual form of dance worship in Kerala and Karnataka. Theyyam consists of thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs. The people of these districts consider Theyyam itself as a channel to a god and they thus seek blessings from Theyyam.
Where is Theyyam performed?
Theyyam is the popular ritual art form of Kolathunadu (Kingdom of Cannanore). The Theyyam dance is performed in front of the village shrine, groves, and in the houses as ancestor worship. The theyyam period is from the 10th of Malayalam month Thulam (October/November) and comes to a close by the end of June.
Is Theyyam a God?
Which is the land of Theyyam?
Kannur is dubbed as the City of Looms and Lores, thanks to the flourishing handloom industry and folk art called Theyyam. Theyyamis a ritualistic artform encompassing dance, music and mime, where the artist dons the guise of God.
How many types of Theyyam in Kerala?
400 types
There are approximately 400 types of Theyyam, including Vettakkorumakan, Vishnumoorthy Theyyam, Muchilot Bhagavathi and Sree Muthappan.
What is Chamundi Theyyam?
Chamundi is a myth of blood and spear known to all of India, but in the Theyyam performance this Goddess wields power. Chamundi, the incarnation of Adi Para Shakti, was born from the brow of Goddess Durga who was fighting with the demons Chanda and Munda. The goddess was impressed with Kali and called her Chamundi.
What is Theyyam?
Theyyam consisted of thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs. The people of these districts consider Theyyam itself as a channel to a god and they thus seek blessings from Theyyam. There are about 456 types of Theyyam.
What is the history of Theyyam in Kerala?
Pottan Theyyam is a vivid, lively and colorful ritualistic dance which comes in the traditional art form of theyyam, and is an essential part of the cultural heritage of Kolathunadu, a territory comprising the present Kannur district and parts of Calicut and Kasargod districts of Kerala, India.
Where can I find media related to Theyyam?
IGNCA, Delhi. Retrieved 10 October 2014. New Delhi has a collection of 1800 slides with research notes by Balan Nambiar Wikimedia Commons has media related to Theyyam. Theyyam calendar, including images.
There are approximately 400 types of Theyyam, including Vettakkorumakan, Vishnumoorthy Theyyam, Muchilot Bhagavathi and Sree Muthappan.